


After All These Years

by sushihara_shuichi



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Victuuri, First Love, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Otayuri AU, Time Skips, many time skips lol, some yuri x jj, that's for later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-05-19 15:26:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14876361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushihara_shuichi/pseuds/sushihara_shuichi
Summary: "I have been alive for twenty four years and I haven't truly lived until I came to New York from Kazakhstan. I have always been confident in life and was never unsure until I chose to take a break from ice skating. And I have seen many beautiful people in my life and I have never fallen so deeply in love until my eyes landed on a blond fairy gliding across the ice."---After stumbling upon Otabek's journal, Guang Hong learns of the famous skater's love story that ends in tragedy and a broken heart. Everything else unfolds from there.





	1. i. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I've been with this fandom since Yuri on Ice began airing and I've only started writing a fanfic for it two years afterward XD  
> I watch a lot of foreign movies (Bollywood, in particular) and so, I thought it would be fun to write a fanfic based off of one of the many movies I had seen. The one I'm basing my fanfic off of is called Jab Tak Hai Jaan. I'm changing quite a few things around to fit this fanfic better and also because some things in the movie just didn't make a lot of sense to me.  
> Please go easy on me; this is my first YOI fanfic, after all.

Guang Hong stared up at the ice skating rink building before him, chestnut brown eyes sparkling with excitement. 

The day had finally arrived. He had flown out to Moscow from San Francisco for this. He was finally going to interview Kazakhstan's greatest ice skater, Otabek Altin.

After many months of failed news stories at The Giacometti Press, Guang Hong was desperate for a breakthrough. When his boss, Chris Giacometti, gave him the opportunity to interview Otabek, he immediately took it and ran with it.

He had idolized Otabek from when he had first debuted on the ice, even wishing to be an ice skater like him. After a while, though, his passion for ice skating faded and his passion for journalism was ignited.

Otabek had been praised for being the best ice skater that Kazakhstan has ever seen, even going so far as to say that he may as well be the best ice skater in the world. However, after an unfortunate accident during the finale of a large tournament, he had taken a break to recuperate. Some people speculated that Otabek may never return to the ice, as it has been over six years since Otabek was last seen skating. Guang Hong, on the other hand, believed that Otabek was preparing for a big comeback. With this interview, he would finally get some questions answered.

He practically jittered with excitement at the thought of interviewing 'the' Otabek Altin.

"Well...here goes nothing..." he trailed off before walking through the automatic doors and stepping into the building. 

He made his way over to the front desk, where a woman stood flipping through a binder. She looked up, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Hello! Are you here to check out a pair of skates?" she asked in Russian.

"Ah!" Guang Hong quickly scrambled for the small notebook that he kept in his coat pocket. "Uh...I am actually here to meet someone. So, I will not be needing to rent out any skates." he said, reading off the Russian that he had written down on one of the pages of his notebook.

"I see. Well, you can enter the rink by going through the door on the right. Have a great rest of your day." the woman explained, gesturing to the big blue door to the right.

"Thank you! I hope you have a nice day, as well!" Guang Hong thanked her before making his way over to the door. He pushed it open and he stepped into the rink area.

"Ah...it's pretty cold in here..." he trailed off, rubbing his arms a little. That was when he heard a voice call out to him.

"You must be Guang Hong Ji." the voice said.

"Eh?" Guang Hong turned to look at a tanned middle aged man with black hair and hazel eyes. "Oh! You must be Mister Alibek." he said, extending a hand out to Alibek.

"I am. I'm glad you were able to come out to Moscow." Alibek said.

They shook hands.

"I have heard everything from Chris. I believe that this would be a great opportunity for him, as he would be finally getting the exposure he desires. However..." Alibek glanced out at the ice. "It's been hard trying to convince that man." he said.

Guang Hong followed Alibek's gaze and his eyes widened as he spotted Otabek gliding across the ice. He was doing some figure eights while occasionally working in a little bit of step sequences.

"Wow..." Guang Hong's eyes sparkled. "He's still as amazing as he was before..." he breathed out.

"He is. And I want the world to know that Otabek is still an amazing skater." Alibek looked at Guang Hong. "Would you able to convince him for me?" he asked.

"I'll try my best, Mister Alibek!" Guang Hong declared, saluting him as he said that.

A deep chuckle came from Alibek.

"I like your optimism." he then looked out on the ice, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "Otabek! You have a visitor!" he called out.

Otabek skidded to a stop, whipping his head back and forth a little to get rid of some stray strands lingering in front of his face.

"A visitor? I don't remember having one." he said as he skated over to the edge of the rink. 

Guang Hong swallowed as Otabek got closer and closer.

_Holy shit, it's finally happening!_ he thought to himself.

He tried to contain how giddy he was as Otabek came to a stop. He looked at Alibek before his gaze drifted over to Guang Hong.

"Who's the high schooler behind you?" Otabek asked.

"High schooler—?!" Guang Hong watched him in bewilderment. "Mister Altin, my name is Guang Hong Ji and I am with The Giacometti Press!" he exclaimed, flashing his ID at Otabek.

Otabek stared at the ID with an uninterested look on his face.

"Well, Mister Guang Hong Ji with The Giacometti Press, why is it that you're here?" Otabek asked.

"Well," Guang Hong swallowed, "I am here because I want to interview you." he said.

"Interview me?" Otabek asked, quirking a brow in confusion.

"Yes! I would like to know about your comeback onto the ice and your reason for finally coming back to ice skating. You'd be able to get some pretty good exposure this way!" Guang Hong explained.

Otabek sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline." Otabek said.

"Eh?" the twinkle in Guang Hong's eyes vanished. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's exactly what I mean. I won't do the interview." Otabek said as he breezed past Alibek and Guang Hong.

Guang Hong's eyes widened in surprise.

"But why not?!" Guang Hong exclaimed.

"I hate interviews. And besides, you won't find out anything interesting about me." Otabek glanced over his shoulder. "You're wasting your time." he said before walking off.

Guang Hong stared at Otabek in shock as Alibek spoke.

"Ah, that's just the way he is. He does open up eventually." Alibek explained.

"Oh..." Guang Hong frowned. "Well...I mean, I'd love to wait for him to open up to me, but I can't just sit around and do nothing." he said before taking off.

"Ah! Mister Guang Hong!" Guang Hong ignored Alibek's shouting as he followed after Otabek.

"Wait! Let me at least explain to you how the interview will be set up!" he called out as he burst into the locker room.

The locker room was silent, save for a girl lacing up her skates. She breezed past him as he sighed.

"He's not in here..." he trailed off.

That was when he spotted a black leather journal out of the corner of his eye.

"A journal...?" he murmured.

He made his way over to the journal and he picked it up.

_I wonder whose journal it is...maybe it's that girl's?_ he asked himself.

He opened the journal and he looked at the name written on the first page.

"This is..." he trailed off.

_It's Otabek's journal!_ he thought to himself.

He looked at the locker room door.

_I need to get this back to him!_ he thought to himself before taking off. He pushed the door open and he found himself back by the front desk.

"Ah!" he ran over to the front desk. "Did you see Otabek Altin come through here?!" he asked in Russian.

"I'm sorry, he just left." the woman at the front desk replied.

"I see..." Guang Hong looked at the automatic doors before smiling at the woman. "Thank you!" he said before making his way back into the locker room.

He sighed, staring down at the journal in his hands.

_I may as well come back tomorrow. I can give this back to him then._ he thought to himself.

He slipped the journal into his coat pocket and he headed back out to the rink.

* * *

After telling Alibek that he would return tomorrow and checking into his hotel, Guang Hong had hopped into the shower. 

He stepped out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair. He sat down on the bed as Otabek's journal caught his eye again.

He had to admit, he was quite curious about the contents of the journal.

_I want to read it, but then again, I feel like I'd be violating his privacy if I do so..._ he thought to himself.

He reached out for the journal, running his finger along the leather cover.

_But then again, if I look through it, I might be able to find something that can help me with my interview._ he thought to himself.

He decided to just go for it as he opened the journal and he flipped to the first page, which had some writing on it.

"A story...?" he murmured.

He stared down at the writing as he read quietly to himself.

**_"I have been alive for twenty four years and I haven't truly lived until I came to New York from Kazakhstan. I have always been confident in life and was never unsure until I chose to take a break from ice skating. And I have seen many beautiful people in my life and I have never fallen so deeply in love until my eyes landed on a blond fairy gliding across the ice..."_ **

* * *

**\- 6 Years Ago -**

"Otabek! Come clean up in the rink area!" 

Otabek finished putting some rental skates into their respective cubbies as he spoke.

"Yes, Sir!" he responded as he hurried to get the cleaning supplies. He grabbed them up and he headed into the rink area, which was relatively quiet for a Sunday evening.

Ever since he had taken a break from ice skating, he had been residing in New York and working various part-time jobs such as working as a DJ at a nightclub, being a waiter at a restaurant, and working at this ice rink. His coach had suggested that living in a different environment would give him a change of pace from his hectic life as a professional ice skater, especially after the injury he suffered from at his last tournament.

He sighed as he got to work sweeping the floors with a broom, collecting the dust and fuzzballs with a scoop. He disposed of it in the nearby trash bin and got ready to wipe down the benches when he looked out at the rink.

At that moment, his eyes locked on a male figure gliding across the ice.

Chin length blond hair danced in the breeze as the male easily flowed into a quadruple Salchow, landing effortlessly with raised arms. The male turned and in that moment, they locked eyes. The male had emerald green eyes that burned bright with a fiery passion that reminded Otabek of the eyes of a soldier.

He felt something in him stir as the image of those eyes refused to leave his mind.

"Whoa..." he breathed out.

_He's...beautiful._ he thought to himself.

He swallowed, running the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip as he watched the male continue to go through some sort of choreography, launching into a step sequence.

Otabek wanted nothing more than to sit and watch the male work his magic on the ice. But, he still had work to do. He sighed deeply.

"I should resume working..." he murmured under his breath before proceeding to wipe down one of the benches.

As he wiped down the benches, he would raise his head every once in a while to watch the blond as he continued skating. The way he skated flawlessly and with such passion made something in Otabek stir. It made him want to drip everything, grab a pair of skates, and skate like his life depended on it.

_His moves are so calculating...he must skate competitively. He's so mesmerizing...I'm sure he captivates the audience when he skates, just like how he's captivating me right now..._ he thought to himself.

He watched as the male struck a pose, arms extending out as he stopped skating. An earbud dropped out of his ear as he rested his hands on his thighs, catching his breath. He reached up, running his fingers through blond locks as he pulled out the other earbud. He reached for the iPod resting in the back pocket of his pants and he turned off whatever song he was playing on it.

Otabek watched as the blond stuffed the iPod and the earbuds into his pocket and he skated over to the side. He got off the ice, grabbed the blade guards sitting on the ledge, and he put them on his skates. Once the guard blades were on, he began to head over to the locker room.

Otabek could only stare as the blond disappeared inside. He thought back to the way the blond moved on the ice, the way his hair danced in the wind, and the way those soldier-like eyes shook him to the core when they briefly locked eyes. He couldn't help but want to approach the blond, strike up a conversation with him, and get to know him.

A pat on his back brought him out of his daze.

"Otabek! Would you also clean in the locker room, as well?" his boss asked.

"Yes, Sir." Otabek replied.

He sighed, briefly running his fingers through his hair before grabbing for the cleaning supplies and heading into the locker room.

* * *

Yuri stepped into the locker room with a sigh. 

_There's a couple things that I need to improve on, but otherwise, I've improved greatly._ he thought to himself.

He made his way over to his locker and he opened it. He had placed many of his items in there such as an extra set of clothes, an extra pair of skates, a small mirror hanging from a Command hook on the wall of the locker, and a Jesus on the cross tucked in one corner of the locker. 

Religion was considered a huge part of his life from when he grew up in Russia up to moving to New York for additional training. He was deeply rooted in his beliefs and he considered himself very devoted to his religion.

He reached for the cross and he brought it to the center of the locker, clasping his hands in front of him as his eyes fluttered shut.

"Jesus, I need you to help me out here. The qualifying tournament is coming up very soon and I need to totally ace my short and free programs. Please make sure that my programs are a success and that I am able to land my quads flawlessly. I'm counting on you again, Jesus." he said.

He took a deep breath, unclasping his hands as a voice came from behind him.

"This is quite unusual." the voice said.

Yuri nearly jumped five feet in the air, his eyes flying open as he quickly turned to see who had spoken. He locked eyes with the dark-haired male standing in the doorway.

"I never knew that the locker room was a place to worship the Lord." the male said.

"Who the hell are you?" Yuri asked.

"I'm just a worker." the male replied.

"A worker?" Yuri arched a brow. "Has anyone told you that eavesdropping on someone is considered unmannerly?" he asked.

"I just happened to hear you talking as I was coming in to clean. I was not expecting to walk in on a one-on-one meeting with Jesus." the male explained.

Yuri narrowed his eyes at him.

"You sound like you've never had a one-on-one conversation with Jesus before." he commented.

"Well, I'm not overly religious, so that's probably why. My life is so busy that I have no time to be devoted to religion." the male pointed out.

As Yuri stared at the male, he couldn't help but feel that he looked...familiar? Had he seen the male before on the ice?

He furrowed his brows a little before sighing.

"Well, maybe you should try it." Yuri closed the locker door behind him, locking it with his combination lock. "Maybe Jesus'll tell you that maybe eavesdropping on people is not such a good idea." he said before walking off, breezing past the male and stepping back out.

* * *

Otabek could only stare as the blond breezed past him and stepped out of the locker room. A couple moments passed before he let out a chuckle. 

"Damn." he ran his fingers through his hair. "He's a feisty one." he commented.

_Shit. That was actually pretty cute._ he thought to himself.

He rested the cleaning materials on the bench in the locker room and he made his way over to the locker that the blond was using. He reached up and rapped on it.

"Oi, Jesus." he stared at the locker. "You better give him what he asked for. From what I've seen, he's working hard to achieve his goal. Don't let him down." he said.

He pulled away from the locker with a sigh.

"I should get back to work..." Otabek murmured before proceeding to clean up in the locker room.


	2. ii. The Development

**\- 6 Years Ago -**

From that day, Otabek saw the blond more and more. He would always catch him skating the same routine over and over again, messing up every so often. Every time he saw him, he found himself growing more and more attracted to him.

Even if he hadn't spoken to said blond, he could feel this magnetic pull drawing him closer to him.

He finished up sweeping the floors as his boss came up to him.

"I'll have someone take over for you, seeing as you'll be going on break now." he said.

"Okay. Thanks." Otabek responded as his boss took the broom and scoop from him.

"Take it easy, okay?" his boss asked.

"I will." Otabek replied.

His boss walked off and Otabek moved to sit on one of the bleachers. He dug through his jacket pocket and pulled out any energy bar, tearing the package open. He bit into it, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his notifications. He then stopped upon seeing a couple of texts from his roommate.

**Leo: Otabekkkkkkk TT_TT**

**Leo: We're $100 short on rent for this month TT_TT**

Otabek arched a brow at this.

 _Short on rent? I thought we had enough for this month,_ he thought to himself.

He took another bite out of his energy bar and he tapped on the text, using his thumb to unlock his phone and going into his messages.

**Otabek: did the landlord up the rate again?**

**Leo: I think he did**

**Leo: I feel like crying TT_TT**

**Otabek: just take 100 from my account.**

**Leo: Are you sure**

**Leo: I'll feel bad if I take anymore money from you cuz you've been supporting us for this long**

**Otabek: dont worry about it. just go take it out.**

**Leo: OK...I'll make sure to pay you back**

**Otabek: you dont need to pay me back, leo.**

**Leo: I insist let me pay you back**

**Otabek: if itll make you happy, then fine.**

**Leo: Thnx you're the best :)**

Otabek exited out of the messaging app after sending Leo a quick text and he began to scroll through his Twitter feed. He was so engrossed in scrolling through and retweeting tweets that he didn't notice someone making their way over to him.

"You're Otabek Altin, right?"

"Hm?" Otabek exited out of Twitter. "Yeah, I am. Why are you as—" he looked up from his phone and was met with emerald green eyes.

He felt his breath catch at the intensity of them.

 _Oh my god,_ he thought to himself.

It's **_him._**

The blond that Otabek had been silently admiring for the past two weeks or so stood before him. He had his bangs pulled back so that they weren't in his face and he had one earbud dangling from his ear.

The blond released a sigh.

"I had a feeling. When we talked two weeks ago, I couldn't help but feel like you looked familiar." he said.

"Is that so..." Otabek trailed off.

"Yeah. You see, I'm a fan of yours. I really love watching you skate." the blond told him.

"You do?" Otabek felt his heart flutter. "Thank you." he said.

The blond took out his earbud as he seated himself beside Otabek. He crossed his legs, clasping his hands together and placing them on his lap.

"This may seem sudden, but I have a favor to ask of you." he began.

"Okay...what is it?" Otabek asked.

"You see, I have this tournament coming up in a month and a half and I need to be able to land six quads perfectly in my program." he tipped his head to the side, gazing at Otabek with pleading eyes. "Would you be able to help me with that?" he asked.

Otabek blinked at him in surprise.

"Six quads?" he put his phone into his jacket pocket. "Have you ever done a program with six quads before?" he asked.

"I have. It's just that it's hard for me to land them properly. When I am able to land them, it's by pure luck." the blond explained.

"I see...well, I mean, I don't necessarily mind, but why me? You could ask anyone else to help, couldn't you?" Otabek asked.

"Otabek, you're the only skater out there who can nail six quads perfectly every single time you do a program that includes them. I want to learn from the best. And also..." the blond reached up to twirl some hair around his finger. "...I kinda want to prove to my coach that I can do it without messing up." he mumbled under his breath.

Otabek was pretty sure that the blond meant for him to not hear his small mumble, but he did. He decided to pretend that he didn't hear it as he spoke.

"Well, if that's what you want, then I'll be willing to do it." he said.

"You will?!" the blond's eyes lit up as he grabbed for Otabek's hands, holding them in his own. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed.

Otabek swore that a blush was beginning to crawl onto his cheeks as his heart raced wildly. He swallowed, finding himself struck by how beautiful the blond looked when he was happy.

 _God, I think I'm in love,_ he thought to himself.

"So, what time would be good for you? I'm willing to work with your schedule." the blond asked.

"Well, I'm not working tomorrow. So, if you would like, we could meet up here?" Otabek suggested.

"Alright. What time?"

"Is noon okay with you?" 

"Yes, noon is good."

The blond smiled at him.

"Thank you." he said.

Otabek felt his cheeks grow warm, his heart skipping a beat. He cleared his throat, hoping that the blush would disappear as he spoke.

"Of course. I've got to help a fellow skater, you know. And speaking of fellow skaters..." Otabek eyed him. "If I'm going to be helping you land those six quads, I should at least know your name." he said.

"Oh. Yes, I should probably introduce myself." the blond tucked some hair behind his ear. "The name's Yuri. Yuri Plisetsky." he said, extending his hand out him.

"Yuri, huh...That's a nice name. I like it." he noted.

He took Yuri's hand in his and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Yuri. I look forward to working with you."

* * *

Otabek watched from the edge of the rink the next day as Yuri skated through his program. He observed his every movement, mentally taking notes.

 _I need to pinpoint his weak points and figure out what is preventing him from landing those six quads perfectly,_ he thought to himself.

He watched Yuri move into a triple axel as it clicked.

 _Ah...I think I know what's going on,_ he thought to himself.

He walked over to the bench and sat down, quickly putting on his skates. After lacing them up, he headed over to the rink entrance. He found himself stopping, his heart rate picking up as he stared at the ice.

It had been a little while since he last stepped foot on the ice.

A sense of fear washed over him as he swallowed.

 _Come on, Otabek, now's not the time to freak out. I need to get onto the ice and tell Yuri what he needs to improve on,_ he told himself.

He bit down on his bottom lip before taking one step onto the ice. He took another step and he found himself gliding across the ice towards Yuri. The sensation of the breeze whipping at him as he skated was a familiar one, but at the same time, it was also foreign. He pushed down the emotions that were beginning to bubble up inside of him as he called out to Yuri.

"Yuri!"

Yuri didn't respond. He was still skating through his routine, earbuds jammed into his ears.

"Yuri!" he tried again.

He still didn't respond.

"Does he always listen to music while he skates...?" Otabek murmured under his breath.

He skated over to him, skidding to a stop before him.

"Can you please stop skating for one second?" he called out.

Yuri's eyes blew wide in shock as he came to a stop before him. He pulled an earbud out as he spoke.

"Oh, sorry. Were you calling for me? I didn't hear you." he apologized.

"I was. But, it's fine now, since I got your attention." Otabek ran his fingers through his hair. "I think I know what's going on here." he said.

"Oh? What is it?"

"You're raising the difficulty of your jumps too much. For example, the way you lift your arms when you land. You're so focused on that that you forget about the jump itself. That's why you keep messing up your jumps and as a result, mess up landing all six quads perfectly. What I think you need to do is just focus on landing the jumps perfectly. Then, once you get the hang of it, you can try raising the difficulty." Otabek explained.

"I see...when you put it like that, it makes a lot of sense." Yuri commented.

"So, you understand what I'm trying to say here?" he asked.

"I do. I think I'll try doing that." Yuri said.

He tugged out the other earbud and he took out his iPod, handing it to Otabek.

"Here, hold onto this for me. I'll try doing it without listening to it." he said.

"Alright." Otabek replied, taking the iPod from him and stuffing it into his hoodie pocket.

"You might want to move out of the way before I knock you over." Yuri warned.

Otabek chuckled.

"Alright, alright, I'll step off the ice." he said before skating back over to the edge of the rink. He stepped off the rink and watched as Yuri got into position in the center of the rink. He placed his hands into his hoodie pocket, his fingers brushing against Yuri's iPod.

 _I wonder what song he was listening to,_ he wondered to himself.

Curiosity got the better of him as he took one of the earbuds and placed it in his ear as the song began to play. It was a song he had heard before, with its loud and aggressive beat. He felt that it fit Yuri perfectly with the fiery and passionate look in his soldier-like eyes as he skated.

 _I guess this must be the song for his program,_ he thought to himself.

He decided to take the earbuds out just as Yuri started skating. At that moment, Otabek's breath caught in his throat. With each move he made, he could hear the song playing in the back of his mind. Yuri's movements were graceful and elegant, effectively blowing his mind and taking his breath away.

How could a skater as extraordinary as Yuri exist?

The more Otabek watched him skate, the more he was drawn to him. He could feel himself beginning to fall deep the more he kept his eyes on him.

Yuri Plisetsky was a force to be reckoned with.

He watched Yuri move into a quadruple Salchow only to mess up and crash into the side of the rink. Otabek's eyes widened in horror at the sight.

"Yuri!" he exclaimed as he got back onto the ice and he skated over to him.

He skidded to a stop before him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Ugh..yeah, I'm alright..." Yuri stood up from the ground, chuckling. "You don't need to worry. It doesn't hurt—Ah!" Yuri let out a gasp as he stumbled forward.

"Whoa!" Otabek managed to catch Yuri in his arms before they fell onto the ice.

Otabek groaned as his back made contact with the ice. He heard Yuri groan from on top of him as he slowly rose his head.

"Okay, now that hurts..." he mumbled.

It was only when Yuri stared down at him with those emerald green eyes that Otabek realized what position they were in. Yuri was straddling his hips, hands on either side of Otabek's head. Yuri was so close that Otabek could smell the eucalyptus mint lotion on his skin and the citrus from his shampoo. The two scents made his head whirl.

"Ah! Sorry..." Yuri scrambled off of him, extending his hand out to him. "Here, I'll help you up." he offered.

"Yeah..." Otabek trailed off as he took Yuri's hand, letting him pull him up from the ground.

"I think I let myself get carried away there. I'll try again from the top." Yuri said.

"Yeah...yeah, that sounds good." Otabek glanced over at the edge of the rink. "I'll go back by the edge and watch you." he said.

"Alright!" Yuri chirped in reply.

Otabek nodded his head before skating back over to the edge of the rink, his heart racing all the while.

* * *

Otabek couldn't deny it any longer: he had fallen for Yuri Plisetsky.

He never fell this hard before, let alone falling in love at all. He imagined that when he finally fell in love, it would be after quite some time has passed. He would've gotten to know the person well, hang out with them a few times, and get that fluttery feeling in his stomach. He imagined that he was going to naturally fall in love.

He wasn't expecting to fall in love within two week's time, and with someone he knew little to nothing about, at that.

Otabek sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he watched Yuri go through his routine once again.

 _He looks like he's getting better. At this rate, he'll be good to go for the tournament,_ he thought to himself.

Yuri finished his routine moments later and he skated over to the edge of the rink, earbud falling out of his ear yet again.

"So? How'd I do?" he asked, stopping before Otabek.

"I think you're getting better. At this rate, you'll be able to land those quads without any problems during the tournament." Otabek replied.

"Sweet!" Yuri got off the ice and he grabbed for his blade guards. "I'm going to take a break for a little while, is that okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's fine." Otabek replied.

"Cool. I'll be back." Yuri said before putting the blade guards on his skates and heading off in the direction of the locker room.

Otabek watched Yuri go, his heart racing as he caught a whiff of his citrus shampoo.

 _Goddammit, Otabek,_ he silently cursed as he turned and began making his way up the stairs towards his jacket, which he had left on one of the bleachers.

He sat down on the bleacher, taking a granola bar out of the pocket and throwing the jacket on. After he unwrapped the granola bar, he took a bite out of it. He chewed as he looked out at the rink. Sooner or later, he found himself imagining Yuri back on the ice, skating through the routine like he usually did. He could hear the music playing in his mind, see every move he made, and watch as their eyes made contact—

Otabek's breath hitched in his throat, eyes growing wide in surprise.

"Aaaagh, can't I stop thinking about him for one second...?" he muttered under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair.

He angrily took a bite out of his granola bar as he felt something cold touch his temple. He nearly jumped six feet in the air at the cold sensation.

"What the—?!" he exclaimed as he turned to see what touched him.

His eyes landed on a Coke can and then traveled up to a familiar pair of emerald green eyes. Yuri stood before him, holding the Coke can in one hand and a plastic bag in the other.

"Sorry if I scared you." he held up the plastic bag. "I got us lunch." he said.

"Oh...alright." he replied.

Yuri sat down beside him and he offered the Coke can to Otabek again, which he took from him. He cracked open the can as Yuri began rummaging through the bag for something. A couple of minutes, he took out a sandwich.

"Here, I got you a ham and cheese sandwich." he said.

"Ah, thanks." Otabek said as he reached to take the sandwich from him.

As he took the sandwich, he noticed something gold on his ring finger.

 _Hm? A ring,_ he wondered to himself.

He unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite out of it. He glanced back at Yuri, observing his hand as he took out something wrapped in foil. He confirmed that the gold item on his finger was indeed a ring. 

He swallowed.

I suddenly have a really bad feeling about that ring, he thought to himself.

"Hey, Yuri..." he began hesitantly.

"Hm? What's up?" Yuri answered as he unwrapped the foil to reveal a burrito.

Yuri took a bite out of the burrito as Otabek spoke.

"What's up with the ring?" he asked.

"Oh, this?" Yuri flashed him his ring. "It's my engagement ring." he said.

The world came to a screeching halt. Otabek wasn't sure if he heard Yuri right.

_Engagement...ring?_

Otabek blinked his eyes twice in surprise.

"Engagement ring...?" he questioned.

"Yeah...is everything okay? You look shocked." Yuri pointed out.

"Oh, I'm okay." Otabek tried his best to compose himself. "I was just caught by surprise, that's all." he said.

Yuri let out a small chuckle.

"I get that a lot. I mean, I'm only twenty-one and here I am, engaged and to be married in a matter of months." he explained, watching his ring glint in the light.

Otabek found himself mesmerized by the glinting of the ring as he slowly took a sip from his can.

 _Twenty-one, huh...he's three years younger than me,_ he thought to himself.

The bubbly drink tickled his throat as he swallowed.

"So? Who's the lucky person?" he asked.

"He's a Canadian ice skater. I'm not sure if you've heard of him." Yuri said.

"Tell me his name and I'll see if I know who he is."

"His name is Jean-Jacques Leroy. He's more known for his nickname, JJ."

"Ah. I know who you're talking about. He's that flashy skater who has his own fanclub."

"He does. However, his fanclub isn't as big as yours is."

"I have my own fanclub?"

"Yes, you do. How come you weren't aware of that?"

"I just never paid that much attention."

Yuri rolled his eyes at Otabek's answer.

"Whatever you say, then." he said as he took another bite out of his burrito.

Otabek finally found it in him to look away from the ring on Yuri's finger as he began to think.

 _Not only is he engaged at such a young age, he's also gay. I mean, I'm not weirded out by it because I'm gay, too. It's just...I'm not quite sure how to put it, but it's kind of unexpected that he is gay,_ he thought to himself.

He finished off one half of his sandwich as a thought popped up in his mind.

Why become engaged at such a young age?

He found himself voicing that thought as he drank some more of his Coke.

"So...what made you decide that you wanted to get engaged?" he asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Yuri answered, arching a brow at Otabek's question.

"Ah, I don't mean to offend you or anything. It's just...you're still so young. There must be a reason why you're going to get married at such a young age." Otabek explained.

"Oh...well, it's part of a promise that I made." Yuri replied.

"A promise?" Otabek inquired.

"Yeah." Yuri looked out at the rink. "A promise I made to my grandfather." he said.

"I see..." Otabek trailed off.

Silence fell over them as they ate, signaling the end of the discussion. As Otabek finished off his sandwich, another thought circled around in his mind.

He was totally and utterly fucked.

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Leo turned off the stove, taking the saucepan that had some macaroni and cheese off of it. "You met this guy at the skating rink and then, a couple of days later, he comes up to you and asks for your help in landing six quads for his program for an upcoming tournament. You decide to do it and you eventually fell in love with him as you spent more and more time together. Then, he bulldozes over these budding feelings by saying that he is engaged to JJ, who is a relatively popular skater. Am I right?" he asked as he began spooning equal portions of the macaroni and cheese into two plates.

Otabek nodded.

"Yes, that's correct." he replied.

Leo breathed out a loud sigh as he placed the empty saucepan down, placing his hands on his hips.

"Goddammit, Otabek. Couldn't you have found someone else to fall in love with?" he asked.

"I get it! I know that I shouldn't have fallen for someone that is engaged, but here the hell I am!" Otabek ran his fingers through his hair. "I fell in love with him..." he trailed off.

"Well, like they say, love makes people do crazy things." Leo commented.  

Otabek breathed out a loud sigh, propping his elbow up on the table and pressing his cheek against his palm.

"Well, fuck. Leo, I am totally fucked." he stated.

"We've made this clear already." Leo replied.

He added broccoli and some grilled chicken onto the plates and he carried them over to the dining table, setting one plate down before Otabek and then seating himself across from him.

"So? What do you plan on doing?" he asked.

"To be honest...I have no idea anymore. I know that the most logical thing to do is try and get over him, but for some reason, I can't find it in me to do it." Otabek explained.

"That," Leo spooned some of the macaroni and cheese into his mouth, "is because you've fallen too deep." he stated.

"Yeah..." Otabek trailed off.

Leo finished chewing and swallowed his food, eyeing his friend as he propped his elbow up on the table as well. Pressing his cheek against the palm of his hand, he released a sigh.

"Okay, I have an idea. How about you stop dwelling over this and distract yourself?" Leo suggested.

"Distract myself?" Otabek asked.

"Yeah! You have that DJ gig at that nightclub you started working at, right? Let that be your distraction and DJ the night away!" Leo said.

"Yeah...I guess that's a good idea." Otabek said.

Leo arched a brow at Otabek's words.

"You guess it's a good idea or it is a good idea?" he asked.

"It is." Otabek replied.

"Okay, I was just checking." Leo continued eating. "But, seriously. It'll help you clear your mind a bit." he pointed out.

"Alright." Otabek stabbed at a piece of broccoli with his fork. "I'm gonna assume you'll be showing up at Phantom Club, as well?" he guessed.

"You bet I will! Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll finally be able to hook up with someone." Leo said with a wink.

Otabek rolled his eyes.

"I highly doubt it. With the way you are, you'll forever remain a bachelor." he teased.

Leo glowered at him.

"Shut it, Mister I-Fell-In-Love-With-An-Engaged-Man." he barked out as he kicked Otabek under the table.

"Okay, that was a total low blow." Otabek shot back.

"Not like what you said wasn't one, either!" Leo hissed, causing Otabek to laugh as they went back to eating their food.

* * *

Yuuri finished applying lip gloss to Yuri's lips as his phone began ringing against the bathroom counter.

"Yuri, I believe that's yours." he said.

"I heard it, Katsudon." Yuri snapped as he grabbed his phone and answered it, bringing the device to his ear.

"Yes, what is it?"

**_"Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuri! Where are you?!"_ **

"I'm still by Katsudon and that dumbass Victor! What do you want, Mila?"

**_"I'm out front! Hurry up before we end up missing out on the good music and the hot boys!"_ **

"Okay, shut it, you annoying hag! I'll be out there just now!"

**_"You're gonna regret calling me that, Yuri!"_ **

Yuri hung up soon after, an irritated sigh pushing itself past his lips.

"Is she here?" Yuuri asked.

"Yeah. She's telling me to hurry up." he replied.

"Okay, just let me look over your face once more." Yuuri instructed as he reached out and took Yuri's chin in between his fingers.

Yuri observed him as he watched his face.

"You know, you should've retired and become a makeup artist earlier." he commented.

"Why is that?" Yuuri asked.

"So that there would've been one less skater back then. Also, your makeup skills are way better than Mila's." Yuri explained.

Yuuri let out a light chuckle.

"You're just exaggerating, my makeup skills are average compared to what other people can do." he said.

"Yuri, you wound me!" they both looked over to see an offended Mila standing in the doorway with Victor, her hands on her hips. "Do you really hate my makeup skills that much?!" she asked.

"You always overdo it! Plus, I end up looking older than I actually am whenever you put makeup on me. At least one thing that Katsudon can do right is makeup." Yuri stated bluntly.

"Ah, Yurio, you don't need to be so brutal." Victor chided.

"Oh, can it, old man! Also, my name is not Yurio! It's Yuri! Yu-ri!" Yuri shouted.

"Alright, whatever you say, Yurio." Victor replied, disregarding what Yuri said earlier.

Yuri began to seethe, shooting daggers in the direction of the silver-haired Russian.

"Fuck off!" he grabbed for his bag and marched over to the door. "Come on, Mila! Let's go!" he hollered.

"Okay, I'm coming!" Mila looked at Yuuri and Victor. "I'll see you guys around!" she said.

"You two have fun now! And please be safe!" Yuuri called out.

Yuri and Mila stepped out into the cool evening air, Yuri shoving his hands into his coat pockets as they walked side by side.

"So? What's the name of this club?" he asked.

"Phantom Club." she replied.

"What kind of nightclub name is that?" he asked.

"I know, it doesn't sound like the name of a nightclub, but it's a really chill place! The music rocks and the boys there are super attractive. I'm sure you'll find a couple that are your type tonight and dance with them for a bit." she explained.

Yuri rolled his eyes.

"I only came with you because one, I need to de-stress from skating, and two, you said that the music was supposed to blow my mind. I'm not looking to hang out with anyone besides you." he stated.

"Oh come on, Yuri! You need to hang with people in order to de-stress from all that skating you've been doing recently! And plus, ogling super hot guys was our favorite pastime whenever we went out clubbing!" she pointed out.

"I only managed to be of legal age to enter a nightclub last month. Those times, you were just sneaking me in whenever you could." Yuri commented.

"Yes, I get that, but what I'm trying to say here is that you used to be more fun!" Mila huffed out a sigh, stuffing her gloved hands into the pockets of her petticoat and burying her nose deep in her Burberry scarf. "Ever since news about your engagement to JJ was released late last year, you've become really boring." she stated.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not as "fun" as I used to be." he said.

They arrived at the nightclub a few minutes later. After showing the bouncer their IDs, they headed inside.

Yuri was met with loud, pulsating music that flooded through his body with each step he took. The bar was tucked off to one side with everyone crowding around by the lounge areas and the dance floor. The air smelled heavily of sweat and strong alcohol, faintly reminiscent of the first time Yuri snuck into a club with Mila when he was sixteen. He almost missed going to various nightclubs with her.

Almost.

He felt Mila grab him by the arm and pull him through the crowd towards the bar.

"Ack! Mila!" he bumped shoulders with various people. "Don't go so fast!" he shouted over the music.

Mila didn't seem to hear him, which made him furrow his brows.

 _Is she in that much of a hurry,_ he thought to himself.

They arrived at the bar and sat down.

"Geez, you seem to be in such a hurry to get drunk." he commented.

"No, I'm in a hurry to get **_you_** drunk, Yuri." she stated.

Yuri rolled his eyes.

"That's not going to happen." he said.

"Yes, it will. Just you wait and see." she waved one of the bartenders over. "Two sidecars, please!" she called out.

"Sidecars?" Yuri questioned.

"Oh, you're still so innocent, Yuri." she reached out and pinched his cheek. "Sidecar is a type of cocktail with cognac in it." she said.

"Don't fucking pinch my cheek like that." he swatted her hand away. "And seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah, seriously." she replied as the bartender came back with their cocktails.

"Thanks!" the bartender walked off and Mila reached for a glass, handing it to Yuri. "Here, your glass." she said.

Yuri took the glass from her, peering down at the amber colored drink.

"Don't just stare at it! Drink it already!" she shouted, reaching out and pressing the rim of the glass to Yuri's lips.

"M-Mila! Hold on a minute—!" he barely had time to react as she tipped the glass back, the cocktail slipping past his lips and down his throat.

The cocktail was smooth, the sweet and sour undertones well-balanced. It edged a little more on the sweeter side with the sugar that coated the rim. If Yuri was being honest, he didn't mind how it tasted.

He swallowed, reaching out and pushing her hand away.

"Goddammit, Mila, you didn't have to do that!" he barked out.

"You were being so hesitant, though! It doesn't take that long for someone to take a drink!" she reached for her own glass. "So? What do you think?" she asked.

"Well...it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be..." he trailed off.

"Do you want another one?" she asked.

Yuri shrugged.

"I guess? Just do whatever you want." he replied.

"Okay!" she replied as she waved the bartender back over.

The bartender came back with another glass and sooner or later, Yuri found himself going through two more before beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. He felt warm and bubbly inside as he gradually began to loosen up.

He reached for one of the shot glasses that Mila ordered as a familiar song began to play, the beat aggressive and wild. He nearly dropped the shot glass in shock.

"Oh my god...this is the song for my program!" he exclaimed.

"Huh? It is?" Mila slurred out as she downed another shot.

"Yeah! It's a remix, but I know this song from anywhere." he said.

He looked over at the DJ booth and his eyes grew wide upon seeing Otabek there, hand resting on his headphones as he mixed the music.

"Holy shit." he said.

"Hm? What's up?" Mila asked.

"That DJ...That's Otabek! He's the one helping me with the six quads!" Yuri exclaimed.

"Wait, whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! The one and only Otabek Altin is helping you with your program?!" Mila asked.

"Mila, I would never lie about something like this." he said.

"Oh yes, that's right. A child of God would never lie." she drawled out as she grabbed for another shot glass.

Yuri slowly downed the shot, eyes trained on Otabek.

 _I had no idea he also worked here,_ he thought to himself.

He finished off the shot as Otabek rose his head. Their eyes locked on one another for a few moments, a surprised and bewildered look washing over his face.

 _He saw me,_  Yuri thought to himself.

Otabek held his gaze for a couple more moments before breaking it and returning his attention to mixing the music.

"Damn, I had no idea he's also a DJ! His remixes are the shit!" Mila hollered.

She grabbed for another shot glass, downing it as Yuri kept his eyes trained on the DJ booth. The way Otabek moved his hands on the mixer as he bobbed his head to the beat was so mesmerizing that he had a hard time pulling his gaze away. He found himself awestruck by him.

The song ended shortly afterward and Yuri watched as Otabek stepped away from the mixer and let another person take his place. Yuri found himself shooting up from his seat as Otabek turned to leave the DJ booth.

"Yuuuuuuuuuuuri! Where are you off to now?! Yuri?!" Mila hollered as Yuri began to make his way over to the dance floor.

He failed to answer her as he pushed through the crowd, hoping to catch up to Otabek before he left. Sooner or later, he found himself in the middle of the dance floor. Another song began to play as Yuri looked around for Otabek.

 _He moves fast...where the heck did he go,_ he asked himself.

He turned just as he bumped into a broad chest.

"Ah! What in the—" Yuri rose his head, prepared to cuss the person out as he locked eyes with an oddly familiar person. "Otabek!" he exclaimed.

Otabek smiled.

"Hey." he held up two bottles of beer. "Drink?" he asked.

Yuri laughed.

"Yeah, sure." he replied, taking the bottle from him.

He brought the bottle to his lips as they began to dance to the beat.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." Otabek commented.

"Same to you. I didn't know you also worked as a DJ." Yuri countered.

"Ah...I never did bring that up, did I? Sorry about that." Otabek took a swig from his bottle. "I DJ as a side gig to earn some extra money." he explained.

"I see..." Yuri trailed off.

"So? What brings you here, Yuri?" Otabek asked.

"A friend brought me here. She said that she loves the music here." Yuri explained.

"Is that so..." Otabek trailed off.

"Yeah. And I think I'm gonna have to agree with her. Your remixes are seriously amazing." he commented.

He swore he saw Otabek blush, but with the dim lighting, he had a hard time telling.

"Thanks..." he muttered.

"Mmmhmm." Yuri hummed in response as he took a swig from his bottle, letting the beer roll down his throat.

They continued drinking and making small talk whilst dancing to the music. Sooner or later, they found themselves getting closer and closer until their bodies were pressed against one another, Otabek's hands on Yuri's hips and Yuri's arms looped around Otabek's neck. As they danced, Yuri found himself getting lost in Otabek's eyes. Now that he was this close to him, he was able to get a better look at him.

His hair was slicked back, some stray strands hanging down along his forehead. His facial features were well-defined from the rise of his cheekbones to the structure of his jawline. His eyes were a dark hue, the lighting making them glow a little. The strobe lights dancing across his face paired with his gaze gave off an almost sensual vibe, causing something to stir from deep within Yuri. He swallowed, his heart momentarily skipping a beat.

 _What in the,_ he trailed off in his thoughts.

He quickly chalked it up to it being the alcohol that was making him feel this way. There's no way that he was beginning to feel something for Otabek.

...Right?

He dropped his gaze, eyes focused on Otabek's chest as he spoke.

"I think that's enough dancing for me. I should be getting home now." he said, pulling himself out of Otabek's arms and walking off of the dance floor.

"I see...do you need me to walk you back?" he asked as he began to follow Yuri.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to call a cab." Yuri replied.

"No, I insist. I'll walk you back. Besides, you'll be able to sober up if you get some fresh air." Otabek stated.

Yuri turned, looking at Otabek for a split moment before sighing.

"Okay, if you insist."

* * *

Otabek had his hands buried in his coat as the two of them walked side by side on the sidewalk. He glanced at Yuri out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you sure it was okay to leave your friend behind? She could've come with us." he asked.

"She'll be fine. She's made it back home while drunk before." Yuri replied with the wave of his hand.

Otabek released a sigh.

"If you say so..." he trailed off.

A comfortable silence fell over them as they walked down the relatively quiet street (Otabek was surprised that there were little to no cars on the street, to begin with). He took this time to observe Yuri, who donned a black sweater with a tan colored peacoat over it, torn skinny jeans, and dark brown boots. The outfit was relatively simple, but it seemed to suit Yuri well. Otabek's cheeks flushed red at the thought.

 _Why does he have to look so cute in everything,_ he asked himself.

He breathed out another sigh, watching his breath come out in white wisps as he looked up at the sky. Sooner or later, some snow flurries began to fall.

"It's snowing." he commented.

"It is?" Yuri rose his head up, as well. "Oh wow, it really is." he said.

A smile touched Yuri's lips as he held his hands out, a couple snowflakes falling into his hand.

"So pretty..." he trailed off.

Otabek swallowed, the image of Yuri's smile being ingrained into the back of his mind.

 _He's making me fall even deeper,_ he thought to himself.

He knew that he shouldn't be in love with an engaged man.

He knew that this love wasn't meant to be.

But he couldn't help it.

No matter how much he tried to make himself fall out of love with him, Yuri would do something that would make him fall deeper in love with him.

He dug his teeth into his bottom lip as his feelings began to bubble up to the surface, eventually spilling out before he could stop them.

He stopped, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair.

"Goddammit, Yuri...why do you have to go and do things that make me fall more in love with you?" he asked.

Yuri stopped upon hearing Otabek's words. He stayed like that for a few minutes before turning to watch Otabek, a shocked look on his face.

"...Huh?" he asked.

"I'm in love with you, Yuri." Otabek said.

"I..." Yuri was rendered speechless, his eyes wide as he continued to stare at Otabek.

"I know that I shouldn't be in love with you. But, it's something I couldn't help but do." Otabek began.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as he continued.

"I tried so hard to fall out of love, but I can't. Everything you do makes me fall deeper and deeper. Hell, I've fallen so deep that it's crazy." he stared at Yuri. "I know that you're engaged. I know that you're going to get married soon, Yuri. But, I can't help it. You made me fall madly in love with you." he said.

Yuri didn't respond. He was so stunned that he didn't know how to react or what to say to him.

Otabek's mind began to grow fuzzy as he observed Yuri. His gaze eventually fell on his lips, which were slightly parted in shock.

 _Those lips,_ he trailed off in his thoughts.

He swallowed, feeling this sudden urge to kiss him begin to take over him. He began to slowly make his way over to him, watching as a mix of various emotions swirled around in Yuri's eyes.

"Hey, Yuri..." he stopped before him, leaning in so that their faces were mere inches away from one another. "If I kissed you right now, would you fall in love with me?" he asked.

It was subtle, but he heard Yuri's breath hitch at his question. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he reached up to cup his cheek.

"I guess we'll find out." he said as he closed the distance between them, the snow continuing to fall around them as their lips came together in a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me at these other places:
> 
> -Tumblr: http://kawaiikichi.tumblr.com/  
> -Twitter (main): @kawaiishuusai  
> -Twitter (writing): @kawaiikichii

**Author's Note:**

> So, a few things to note as we continue along:  
> -Yuuri and Victor have already retired from ice skating  
> -In this AU, Otabek is considered a legend when it comes to ice skating  
> -Chris (he does eventually show up, but not as a main character) has no connection to Victor in this fanfic; they are basically strangers  
> -This story has quite a few time skips with the first one, going back six years in the past, then going back to the present, and then going through time (ex. two months, a few days, etc)  
> -(I'll add more if I can think of any!)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @kawaiikichi!  
> Link: http://kawaiikichi.tumblr.com/


End file.
